It happened overnight, really. I could have starred in Steel Magnolias with my helmet head. But STILL you would not give in to my begging and my not-so-subtle suggestions – you voted for me to continue on. I got the feeling that perhaps the joke was on me at this point, but I said I’d stick to the vote – and so I did.

A few of you voted “Seriously – quit whining. No one cares. Cut it.” You know, just because I GAVE that option didn’t mean you had to TAKE the option. Geez.

In fact, even when I was trying to lose weight (don’t ask – we’re talking about hair), you wouldn’t free me from my plight. I posted a demon possessed headband shot, but you held your ground. “GROW IT!” you said.

I think I was growing teeth at the same time. This shot was a bit too reminiscent of the wolf in Little Red Riding Hood.

I gave a straight out of the shower shot – NOT a styled shot. This shot was supposed to show the wave in my hair, the color of my hair and beg for a style.

And maybe that was the problem, but can you BELIEVE the Hair Thursday bloggers voted to cut it? WELL!! I had one thing to say about that…

WHAT IN THE WORLD?!

After 5 months of looking like anything from a granny to a character on Fraggle Rock, I was NOT gonna cut it. Nope, not gonna. At this point I decided to go AGAINST the majority and continue on…alone.

Helpless.

I nearly fell into despair, but then I remembered this was JUST HAIR after all.

So, now it is April 2008 and I have a hair update. No, really…don’t get so excited. Please, everyone sit down – really, it isn’t THAT exciting.

Here we go – the front:

The back – well, kind of the back:

Notice I had it stacked just a bit while I am STILL WAITING for my bangs to reach my chin. I would have significantly more length, but I really wanted to even it all up before I let it pass my chin.

THIS is the first photo that really makes me embrace my grey. I absolutely love the way my grey looks in this shot.

As you can see, I’m greying from the front to the back. When it began I had a skunk streak along my part, but as it has grown it has spread out a bit and just left the back dark.

Why am I writing about all this now?

Well, yesterday I was interviewed by the New York Times. Apparently they are doing a write-up in the Style section on the 17th of this month about how blogs can be used to make decisions on style. I believe I was found through Whoorl’s Hair Thursday. I believe I was very nervous. I believe I might have said some really stupid things in response to the nice Yankee’s lady’s questions.

I BELIEVE IN CRYSTAL LIGHT ‘CUZ I BELIEVE IN ME.

Oh wait, I didn’t mean to sing that – SEE HOW TELEVISION CAN AFFECT YOU. Dadburnit.

All I know is I had NO IDEA I would ever be in the NYT, but even if I had ever an inkling, I don’t imagine I would’ve considered it be about my hair. MY HAIR for crying out loud.

I can only imagine the conversations.

Me: “Hi, my name is Heather – did you know I’m going to be in the New York Times?”

Perfect Stranger: “Oh really?”

Me: “Yes, thought you might like to know that.”

Perfect Stranger: “Did you write something for it?”

Me: “Um…no.”

Perfect Stranger: “Did you do something important – like save a child, discover a cure for foot fungus, or rescue a Grandma from buying orange make-up?”

Me: “Um…not exactly.”

Perfect Stranger: “Well tell me, what did you DO?”

Me: “I…uh…well, I…you see, I grew…”

Perfect Stranger: “You GREW an award winning vegetable for a county fair?”

Me: “NO DANGIT! I GREW OUT MY HAIR. IT TOOK A WHOLE YEAR, BUT I DID IT!”

Perfect Stranger: “Oh.”

Me: “Yea, that’s it.”

SEE? Seriously, I don’t know whether to call everyone I know or to hide and pray I don’t get a lot of hate mail about how I’m so vain.

ANYWAY, they asked for before photos and asked whether I would mind sending some after shots (or they would send someone out to take them – um…no, thankyouverymuch.)

So, I took a shower and styled my hair today – you’d be so proud, I don’t always shower. And well, you saw the results. Look, I’m clean! Look, I’m smiling. Look, I did it!

Gosh, Heather, you really do have the most unbelievably gorgeous hair. I *love* *love* the color, the thickness, the abundance, the length…and yeah, the cut you have now is just dandy also.
Ahh, I strive to have salt and pepper hair like you, but alas I have to have pepper before it can be salted and this fine, baby mousy dirty blondness is nowhere close. It’s even graying, but by the time it is that gray, I will have no hair left!

I LOVE the style! I’m right where you were too. I’ve been growing mine out since forever it seems because a year and a half ago I went really short (WHY!), struggled with getting used to it for a year but hating it. Now I’m thinking of a similar style to you, however, I’m not ready to embrace my grey. It’s not as evenly beautiful as yours. Maybe soon though. I don’t have a hang-up about being grey as long as it’s not old-lady short, curly to the scalp style grey. Good for you. Love the look.

I love your hair. Although I loved the before shots, too. In fact, you are inspiring me to not be so afraid of the gray i’m getting. I mean, come on — it’s who I really AM, right? So why should I have to change for society?

Did people really vote for you to cut it? I don’t remember that. They must have been people who hadn’t been following your hair chronicles. I totally love your hair the way it was at the time of your Hair Thursday, and think it looks fabulous now, too.

Okay, so, it’s HAIR. But you’re in the NYTimes!! Besides which, accepting the grey is a big deal to a lot of women! I just recently started getting noticible grey right up front.. I haven’t dyed it yet. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t WANTED to.
With a fab hair style like yours, you’re an inspiration to EMBRACE the grey!

BTW – Several years ago (I think four?) I cut my hair about as short as your first photo. After several months of my hubby hating it, I started growing it out again. Instead of going every 2-3 weeks for a maintenance trim, I started going every 5-6 weeks for a reshaping cut. It made the initial getting to my chin take longer, but I didn’t mind. Once it got past my chin I stopped going so frequently and only went to trim the split ends, etc. Here it is, four and half years later and it’s almost to my elbows!!

Oh My Stinking HECK. You’re just gorgeous. I LOVE the style you’re working. Sleek, “Glam” without looking like you’re working at it, the colors are like quicksilver… lovely. Your struggle was noteworthy, and worthwhile. You have overcome the Eddie Munster Cowlicks.

I love it…it looks JUST like my haircut. No, seriously. I recently got my long, thick, down to my lower back, hair cut just like your in the last picture. Going from long after so many years to short can be just as traumatic. I cried while the lady was cutting it. Twice. But we hung in there and now we both look fabulous dahling!

Your hair is gorgeous!! You honestly make me want to cut mine now, that style is SO cute. I’ve been growing mine out but am starting to think I should chop it all off and act my age. I’d kill to be cute enough to pull off a pixie cut like you did!
PS: burn all evidence of the mushroom cut ASAP

Yeah my comment is nothing about your hair! But I do like it longer. I ditched my web server and went with Liquid Web. Now hopefully it doesn’t take forever to get it up and running. I am not good with waiting.

That is so funny. It is amazing the things that bloggers get media for. I love it! You look gorgeous in your photos. I hope you let us know when the issue goes on sale. This yankee will definitely buy a copy. I’m glad that you stuck with it. I am still working on growing mine out and it is making me crazy.

That is so cool! (How did I miss this post before?) And I love your hair (loved it before too.) It looks awesome. I really love it when women embrace the grey and don’t think they have to go out, chop it all off and get a tight granny style perm or dye it purple. I think your hair is beautiful!

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Who is Heather Sanders?

Heather Sanders knows what it means to step boldly (or not-so-boldly) into the unknown, and she's here to write about it. She and her husband Jeff faithsized their homeschooling family into a 960 sq. ft. lake cabin in need of continued renovations. Why? Obedience. Stewardship and Faith. Read More →